I Am Smiling
by lunastars
Summary: Life is back on track for the team. Brian is enjoying the subtle new life he has and decides to take a few moments to talk to those he loves the most. - Something simple for an amazing character played by an even more amazing man. RIP Paul, thank you for everything, I love you.


**A/N: **_I wasn't going to post anything today after I heard about Paul. I'm completely heartbroken and still can't believe it. Writing stories, original and fanfiction, always makes me feel better (even if only slightly) so I decided if I was going to post anything it would be to do with Paul. So I figured I would do a simple one-shot based around Brian O'Conner, the character that made me a fan of such a wonderful human being._

_Rest in peace, Paul… Thank you so much for being such an inspiration, I love and respect you more than you know._

_Also, if you have NOTHING nice to say then please DON'T say anything at all._

* * *

I looked around at everyone. Life was pretty perfect now. We had our freedom, we were all safe and we had our family. There were people that were no longer physically in my life but I would always consider them family. It was insane to think we had gotten this far. A few months back we were in the midst of another job and now we were here, like none of that crap had ever happened.

I looked to **Rome**. He was stuffing his face as usual, not even taking the time to swallow before he spoke or took a drink of his beer. I laughed at the sight. He was the biggest slob and most loud mouthed person I knew, but he was genuine. He could bullshit his way out of anything but with his family you got what was on the tin.

"Hey, Rome," I said as I moved to sit nearer him.

"You want some?" he questioned, holding the half-eaten cheese burger out to me.

I looked at the sloppy mess that it was and laughed. "Nah, man, I'm good."

"Then what's up?"

"How long have we been friends now?"

"Shit," Rome breathed, sitting back in his chair. "So long that I've lost count."

"You think we've made the right decisions?"

"I still think this wouldn't have happened if you didn't become a cop." Brian hit him in the leg and Rome gained a hint of a smile. "All though we wouldn't have been able to put together this little family of ours if you hadn't."

"We're really messed up aren't we?" I laughed.

"Yeah, but man, can you imagine it any other way?"

I grabbed two fresh beers from one of the coolers. I popped the lids off and handed one to him. "Nope and what's life without a little bit of drama anyway?"

"Amen to that."

We lightly hit the necks of our bottles together in a toast and a salute to the life we had.

* * *

Throughout our Sundays there was a slightly different addition in the past few months. The music. **Tej** was hooked up pretty well with pretty much everything you could imagine so it was no surprise when he had his own twist to our Sundays.

I watched him as he fiddled with the laptop, speakers and other stuff he had around him. I headed towards him, a folded chair under my arm and two beers in my hand. I settled the chair beside him and handed him one of the beers.

"Got a request?" he questioned, grinning at me.

"You know I'll listen to whatever," I shrugged. "Just be careful of who you're taking requests from."

We both looked at Rome and burst out laughing. Tej shook his head, muttering some comment under his breath.

"Y'know who I spoke to the other day?" he questioned.

"No, who?"

"Suki."

I looked at him. That was a name I hadn't heard for a while. Last time I heard about her she was doing pretty good for herself, finally getting some recognition for those kick ass designs she was always drawing.

"How's she doing?"

"She's good, wanted a whole lot of explaining, all the old guys did," Tej explained. "I told her what had happened as best as I could. She said we better get our asses down to see her real soon, or invite her over here."

"She still in Miami?"

"Nah, she travels too much apparently."

"We'll have to talk to Dom," I decided. "We need to see her."

"Agreed."

He finished fiddling with his equipment before leaning back in his chair. We didn't say another word, just listened to the music and enjoyed the view.

* * *

We'd lost a lot of family but we'd gained new ones for sure. **Han **and **Gisele **were prime examples of that. Han knew Dom for a long time so it was no surprise he was here. It was Gisele that was always a slight shock. Like me she had originally been on a different team. I was originally a cop and she was originally working for Braga. That was always the perfect thing about this family, no real judgment.

"You guys sharing the dessert or what?" I questioned as I sat with them at the table.

Gisele smiled sheepishly and slid one of the plates over. "We're not ones to waste things."

"I'd rather you guys ate it than Jack," I admitted. "Kid would be off the walls hyper by tonight."

"You're a cute little family," Gisele complimented.

"Do you think we have any competition for cutest family coming up any time soon?" I asked, hinting slightly.

Han motioned behind Gisele's back that he was going to kill me and I laughed. He put his arm around her. "Not for a long while."

Gisele smirked, patting Han's hand with her own. "Yeah, got a lot of other things to think about first."

"Like marriage?" I grinned.

Han looked at me, giving me a warning look but Gisele just laughed.

"In all seriousness though," Gisele said, cutting in. "We live our life fast, always have but has it always worked for us?"

"No," I answered.

"So we figure… Take things slow," Han continued on. "For once in our lives, be thorough with something, do it right."

I smiled, Just nodding my head slightly. They were right really. They were the ones who hadn't really screwed up. I messed up Mia's life and I was lucky to get her back. Dom screwed up big time with Letty and now it's like all that drama with thinking she was dead never happened or was at least a distant memory. Han and Gisele… Well from the get go they'd had no drama between them. I always wondered how they did it.

Slowly, I guess was my answer. I had a kid with Mia and we were living together, we really couldn't go slow. It was a bit late for that, but it was an interesting prospect.

* * *

It was kind of a surreal time really. I'm not sure what it was but something was different. I felt like I needed to speak with everyone here. I had been drifting between talking to people, eating and relaxing. It was slowly starting to get darker now and I found **Dom **on his own by the burnt out barbecue, watching everyone.

I headed over to him. Dom was part of the reason I was part of this family now. He was one of the two people that I needed to accept me before I could really come back. I never expected him to and he did.

"Don't tell me, you've messed up."

I rolled my eyes as I settled beside him. "Always assuming the worst."

"You're with my sister, doesn't matter that we're friends, it's automatic for me to constantly assume you messed up," Dom said. "Only difference is Mia has you wrapped around her little finger."

I smiled at that. "Yeah she does."

"You do realise we're supposed to deny claims like that?"

"Why?" I questioned. "Isn't like it's a bad thing."

He smiled. "Doesn't matter how often I assume or fear you're going to mess up, even if it is only slighty… You treat my sister well."

"At the very least, even if there was no feeling left between us, she gave me Jack… For that alone I'd love her to the ends of the Earth and back."

"Kids definitely a Toretto, I can see why you'd be so proud."

I laughed, shaking my head. "O'Conner through and through."

"I'd kiss Hobbs before I see that kid drive an import before muscle."

I grinned at him. "Better pucker up then."

"Mark my word, O'Conner," he warned, pointing his finger at me. "That kids getting his own Charger before he even learns how to drive.

"Shame," I sighed. "I've already got an import in the works, I'm thinking a Skyline like his Dad."

Dom laughed loudly, that infectious one. We sat back then. We knew deep down that we'd let Jack choose. We'd always try and persuade him, but no matter which one he went with, we would both be happy. Just some things never change between Dom and I.

* * *

It was growing dark for sure now. It was close to Jack's bedtime so I decided to talk to **Letty** before I went to find Mia. I found her sitting cross-legged on one of the chairs. She was laughing as the guys and Gisele attempted to play some basketball. She looked like she had been playing at some point.

I pulled a chair up. "Let."

She looked at me smiling. "What's up?"

"I spoke to you… When you couldn't remember… I apologised for what happened with Braga."

"I told you then and I'll tell you now, no one makes me do anything I don't want to do, you have nothing to apologise for or to explain."

"But you remember now, are you still so sure now that you remember?"

"Brian, I'm positive."

"If I could change it, I would have, I promise that."

"I wouldn't want you to," she admitted. "Would we be here now? No. Dom would still be running off on his own, Han wouldn't have met Gisele, you might not have gotten back with Mia and we wouldn't have met some of the awesome people that we have."

"So now you're a firm believer of things happen for a reason?"

From the smile on her face I knew that wasn't completely true. "I'm a believer of being thankful for what I have."

"There's nothing wrong with that," I agreed.

"Brian, you would never intentionally hurt a single hair on anybody's head," Letty said honestly. "I know that, we're cool."

I handed her my unopened beer as a final peace offering before I got up and left her to it again.

* * *

"Shouldn't you be in bed, mister?" I questioned.

**Jack** looked up at me, talking hurriedly and too excitedly for me to understand properly. **Mia** looked at me with a death glare. I just smiled innocently and scooped him up before he could get too worked up again.

"Well if someone hadn't taken his time, someone else would be in bed."

"I was talking to everyone," I explained as we headed up to the house.

"I saw," she said, nodding her head. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine," I assured. "In fact, everything is more than just fine."

"So what are we going to talk about?"

"We don't really have to talk," I decided as we entered the room we were staying in. "That's the great thing about us."

She cleared Jack's crib. He was already falling asleep. I lowered him into the crib, being gentle as I pulled away. He stirred but he could barely keep his eyes open. I smiled at that. Boy was prefect. Not a thing about him that I would change.

When his eyes closed completely and I knew for sure that he was going to fall asleep, I stepped back and sat down on the end of the bed. Mia stayed over his crib, mumbling a tune until she was positive that he had fallen asleep. When she stepped away she came over to me, standing between my legs.

"So we don't have to talk?" she questioned, wrapping her arms around my neck.

I shook my head. "You know I love you and Jack, that I would do anything for you guys and keep you both safe no matter what, that's all that really matters."

"Well we love you too."

She leaned down to kiss me. We crawled back along the bed so we were on it properly. I wrapped my arms around her waist. Gently I pulled us both back so we were lying down and then I rolled us onto our sides.

Mia nuzzled my nose gently before curling up against me. I sighed, breathing her in before I closed my eyes and drifted to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: **_Once again, RIP Paul Walker and also Roger Rodas who also lost his life. Two people who will be missed. Prayers and thoughts with the families and friends of both men. I hope you're both safe and smiling somewhere safe, boys._


End file.
